Wicklow Uplands Council is delighted to be able to celebrate the connections between heritage and education during National Heritage Week 15 – 23 August.

Coordinated by the Heritage Council since 2005, National Heritage Week has become Ireland’s largest cultural event. This year’s programme includes the exciting addition of digital and online formats, providing innovative ways to explore Ireland’s diverse heritage with online talks, exhibitions, virtual tours, podcasts, videos and blogs.

Responding to this year’s theme of ‘Heritage and Education: Learning from our Heritage’, Wicklow Uplands Council in partnership with Lacken Community Development, have created a programme that explores some of the rich and diverse heritage found in the locality of the west Wicklow village of Lacken.

Discover the key points of interest through a special video project and the additional choice of a guided walk exploring life before the arrival of the car or the flooding of the valley.

To celebrate Heritage Week 2020, why not join us for a guided walk titled ‘A Journey to 1870’s Lacken’.

Led by local guide Alfie Zeller, the west Wicklow event follows the mountainous route once taken by the communities of Lugnagun and Blackrock to Lacken, home to the nearest church, school and other amenities.

Linking with the recently restored Mass Paths, the walk passes numerous examples of abandoned settlements and historical sites, each with their own tale to tell. Participants will also visit a megalithic tomb constructed during the Neolithic Period around 3,300BC – one of several known megalithic sites in the area, with the passage tombs of Seefin, Seahan and Seafingan located on nearby slopes.

Climbing up to the ridgeline between Lugnagun and Sorrel Hill, the panoramic views that take in the Wicklow Mountains National Park and the Blessington Lakes, provide a stunning setting for this informative event.

To accommodate the interest received, the guided walk will take place on two occasions:

·       Thursday the 20^th of August at 7pm – TO BE RESCHEDULED DUE TO ADVERSE WEATHER

·       Saturday the 22^nd of August at 2.30pm – TO BE RESCHEDULED DUE TO ADVERSE WEATHER

(Please Note: The events may be rescheduled in the case of poor weather conditions)

These two events are free, open to everyone above the age of 12 and promise to be an informative, fun and enjoyable experience with plenty of stories and anecdotes shared along the route.

In line with Covid 19 guidelines, the Council needs to carefully manage the number of attendees, so we request that you confirm your interest in attending either of the events no later than 4pm on Thursday.  

Please correspond by email: bdunne@wicklowuplands.ie or phone: 01- 2818406.

PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING IMPORTANT DETAILS:

Covid 19 measures such as social distancing, will be stringently implemented to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all involved.  

The linear route requires participants to independently arrange two parts to their transport logistics. Firstly meeting at Lugnagun (exact details to follow) at 6.45pm/2.15pm followed by a second car or prearranged lift at 8.40pm/4.15pm outside the community centre in the village of Lacken.

The Council requests that interested parties be mindful that the route involves an incline that will be moderately strenuous and on uneven terrain.

Walking shoes or runners suitable for mountainous terrain must be worn.

We also suggest that you bring water and dress appropriately for the weather.

A special video project has has been created to acknowledge and celebrate much of the built heritage around the locality of Lacken. It offers a visual tour of the points of intertest and for those interested in the guided walk event, it highlights some of the sites we’ll be visiting.

We hope you may enjoy it as much as we did making it.

Please Read More On The Video Project